She cites the economy, lack of discretionary income and the fact that a visit to the hall can be postponed easily as likely causes for the poor results. For the year, the hall of fame's deficit is $190,000.

Hall officials offered several solutions today, including potential budget cuts of $2.5 million to $3 million out of a $15 million operating budget. No employee cuts are planned, Meesters says.

Public funding, mostly in hotel taxes, is paying for the hall of fame. The venue, touted as a tourism booster, has instead failed to reach expectations. See NASCAR hall races to shift expectations.